Clean label trend drives flavored whey company to natural sweetener

The clean and clear label trend is coming to the world of whey, as BiPro USA has removed artificial sweeteners from its products and will begin using natural sweeteners for its flavored whey.

BiPro’s chocolate and french vanilla flavors will no longer contain sucralose, the company has announced.

It will now use stevia, which is labeled as a natural sweetener. The product is for sale exclusively online.

Going clean​

Polly Olson, vice president of new business development, marketing and sales at Davisco (the parent company of BiPro USA) told DairyReporter the change will help meet the demands of customers and make the product ”better than ever before”. ​She said customers had expressed interest in a more natural whey protein, demanding naturally sweetened and flavored products.

“The trend toward a clean label is absolutely the main reason,” ​she said. “By a clean label, I mean nothing artificial and a product with very few additives. Our whey protein isolate has limited ingredients added.”​

As to whether the taste has changed, she said the new product provides the exact same sweetness as the old product, with customers giving some “great feedback” ​on the flavor of the new formulation.

More natural whey​

When asked if she saw this move increasing sales, Olson said there have been customers who were waiting for the change to natural sweetener so they could start ordering BiPro.

Many others in the industry are in the process of switching the formulation of their products, she said, something that will likely help push the sales across the market.

“The growth of this category continues to increase as protein is demanded by more consumers,” ​she said.

The company is looking at expanding the BiPro brand with ready-to-drink whey protein beverages and bars.